Grain-fork.



0. M. GREEN.

GRAIN FORK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. 1909,

Patented Aug 2, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHABLESMQGREEN, OFGRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF-TO ADOD. SKINNER, OF GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA.

GRAIN-FORK.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

Application filed June 28, 1909. Serial No. 504,922.

' To all whom 'Lt'may concern:

. Be itknown that 1, CHARLES M. GREEN, citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Forks, in the county of Grand Forks and State of NorthDakota,have invented a new and useful Grain-Fork, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement ingrain forks, and isespecially applicable for-use in shocking bundles of grain. Heretofore,bundles of grain, which have been dropped on the field by a harvestingmachine, havebeen pickedup by hand and carried to different pointson thefield and put in shocks. This work is very tediouson account of thenecessity of stooping over and lifting-eachbundle in the arms and thencarrying the same.

The principal object of this invention is toprovide a grain fork whichwill materially assist an operator in this class of work.

A further object of this invention is to provide an implement of theclass described, which is adapted to be carried in the hand, and isprovided -with suitable means for tightly gripping a bundle and carryingthe same to the place desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an implement whichis simple in construction, easy of manipulation, and cheap tomanufacture.

With these'and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claimshere to appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the-advantages of the invention.

' In the drawing:Figure 1 is a side eleva tion of the implement, andFig. 2=is a front elevation of the same.

Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in allthe figuresof the drawing.

The invention comprises a relatively stationary member 3 whichpreferably describes a compound curve, one end being bifurcated to form:spaced arms 1-4, between the free endsrof which is secured, by means ofscrews 5-5' or other suitable means, a

handle 6. The other end of the said member 3 is bifurcated to formspaced and inwardly curved prongs 77 constituting a fork. These-prongsare preferably arranged in the same plane as the bifurcated arms 4 ofthe handle. Arranged between, and connecting the-handle to the prongs,is an'intermediate portion or neckS which is provided with flat sides 9employed for a purpose hereinafter described.

The invention furthercomprises acurved member having one end 10 thereofformed flat, and the other end bifurcated to form spaced and inwardlycurved prongs 11-11 which are spaced closer together than the prongs ofthe-other member. This member is pivoted to the relatively fixed memberby a pivot 12 'of'any suitable construction, and in such a relation thatthe flat portion 10 of the curved member'bears against the flat orintermediate portion8 of the relatively fixed member, and also in such away that the said members are crossed. The end 10 of the pivoted memberis arranged to extend beyond the pivot a short distance to form a lever.Pivoted to the extreme end of the flat portion or lever 10 of the curvedpivoted member, is an elliptical-shaped or looped'finger-piece 13. Thisfinger-piece is curved in cross section and preferably formed from asingle piece of metal, the free ends 14 thereof being bent outwardly toform bearing surfaces. A bearing pin 15 is arranged to extend throughthe said free ends 11 and the end of the lever 10. A stop 16 is formedon the fiat portion 8 of the relatively fixed member for limiting theoutward movement of the said prongs or forks. A coiled spring 17 isemployed for normally holding the fork in an open position, and has oneof its free ends 18 preferably secured to the stationary member and theother free end 19 secured to the curved member. It will be noted thatthe finger piece terminates short of the handle so that one hand maygrasp both the handle and the finger-piece and manipulate the latter toclose the forks.

The invention further comprises an adjustable strap 20 having its endspreferably secured to the handle by the fastening means 5.

Inoperation, the implement is positioned in the hand, as clearly shownin Fig. 1 of the drawing, with the strap 20 over the hand and thefingers grasping the finger-' piece. The prongs or forks are insertedinto a bundle of grain lying on the ground, and the finger-piece 13pulled upon, this movement causing the prongs ll of the curved member topass across and between the prongs 7 of the relatively fixed member andthereby firmly hold the bundle of grain. The bundle can then be carriedby the fork to any suitable place where the shock is being formed; andwhen desirous of releasing the bundle, the finger-piece 13 is firstreleased, and the coiled spring 17 will immediately bring the curvedmember back into its normal and open position, and there by readilypermit the withdrawal of the implement, and causing the bundle to drop.

The device has been tested and shown to save about seven inches ofstooping in each operation, with the result that a person will pick upfully one-third more bundles with the implement than by hand.

WVhat I claim is l. A hand-operated grain fork comprising a pair ofcrossed pivoted fork members, means connecting the members for holdingthem normally in an open posit-ion, a handle formed on one of themembers, and a fingerpiece secured solely to the other member, saidhandle and finger-piece being grasped by one hand and serving to closethe forks of said members.

2. A hand-operated grain fork comprising a pair of crossed pivotedmembers, each member having a forked end, the fork of one member beingwider than the fork of the other member, and means connected to themembers for permitting the implement to be grasped by one hand andoperated thereby to close the forks, the fork of one member fittingbetween and crossing the fork of the other member.

3. A hand-operated grain fork comprising a pair of crossed pivotedmembers, each member having an inwardly curved forked end, the fork ofone member being wider than the fork of the other member, meansconnected to each of the members for holding the forks in a normallyopen position, and means connected to the members for permitting theimplement to be grasped by one hand and operated thereby to close theforks, the fork of one member fitting between and crossing the fork ofthe other member.

l. A grain fork comprising a pair of crossed fork members, each membercomprising a plurality of prongs having pointed free ends which arearranged in longitudinal alinemcnt therewith, one of the members beingrelatively stationary and provided with a handle, the other member beingpivoted on the first member between the handle and the fork and providedat its free end with a finger-piece, said finger-piece being spaced fromthe handle and in such relation thereto that one hand can grasp boththehandle and finger-piece and operate the latter.

5. A grain fork comprising a pair of crossed pivoted fork members, oneof the members being relatively stationary and provided with a handle,the other member pivoted on the first-named member and having a shortextension forming a lever, a finger-piece secured solely to the leverand terminating short of the handle, so as to be grasped by the fingerswhile the hand embraces the handle to close the forks of said members.

6. A grain fork comprising a pair of crossed fork members, one of themembers being relatively stationary and provided with a handle, saidhandle and fork describing a compound curve, the other member pivoted onthe first-named member between the curved portions and having a shortextension forming a lever, a finger-piece pivoted on the lever andterminating short of the handle so as to be grasped by the fingers whilethe hand embraces the handle to close the forks of said members, andmeans for normally holding the forks of the members apart.

7. A grain fork comprising a pair of crossed pivoted members, one of themembers being provided at one end with spaced and inwardly curved prongsconstituting a fork, and at the other end with oppositely curved andspaced arms for receiving a handle, and a connecting portion between thefork and the arms, a second member comprising spaced and inwardly curvedprongs constituting a fork and provided with an extension, saidextension being pivoted to the connecting portion of the first mentionedmember and extending beyond the V ivot to form a lever, a finger-piecepivote to the end of the lever and adapted to cooperate with the handlewhen operating the pivoted member, and a spring for engaging bothmembers for normally holding the forks apart.

8. A grain fork comprising a pair of crossed pivoted members, one of themembers being provided at one end with spaced and inwardly curved prongsconstituting a fork and at the other end with oppositely curved andspaced arms, a handle arranged between the said arms, an adjustable handstrap secured to the arms and arranged to extend over the handle, and aconnecting portion between the fork and the arms, said portion being Hatand arranged in a plane at right-angles to the plane of the fork, asecond member comprising spaced and inwardly curved prongs constitutinga fork and provided with an extension, said extension being flat andarranged in a plane at right-angles to the forks and pivoted to theconnecting portion of the first-mentioned member at an intermediatepoint, a looped In testimony, that I claim the foregoing finger-piecepivoted on the end of the said as my own, I have hereto affixed mysigna- 10 extension, a stop extending from the conture in the presenceof tWo Witnesses. necting port-ion of the first member for lim- CHARLESM GREEN iting the outward movement of the second member, and a coiledspring connecting the Witnesses:

two members for normally holding the forks B. G. SKULAsoN,

in an open position. WINNIFRED CoUTTs.

